Belt-lacing machine.



Patented J an. 13, 1914.

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BELT LAGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION F-ILED JUNE 14,1913.

1,084,229. Patented Jan. 13,1914.

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A. RAHRER.

BELT LAUING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE14,1913.

1,084,229, Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

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wa lmeoow ITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ALBERT RAHRER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PEERLESS BELT LACING MACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORA- 'IION OF NEW JERSEY.

BELT-LACING MACHINE.

Application filed June 14, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT RAI-IRER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt-Lacing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to that class of machines shown and described in Letters Patent No. 581,027, dated April 20, 1897, and shown and described in Letters Patent No. 594,535, dated November 30, 1897, which are arranged to suitably perforate the ends of a belt or band, to insert a coil, preferably of wire, therein, and to contemporaneously twist the upper and lower portions of the respective convolutions of the coil into parallel relation with the longitudinal axis of the belt, normal to the axis of said coil, and flatten said coil into the surfaces of said belt. Such machines as heretofore constructed comprise opposed relatively movable jaws, between which the coil is compressed into the surfaces of the belt, one aw being carried by an eccentric providing a gyratory path for the pivotal axis thereof, whereby the compressing surface of the said pivoted jaw, when actuated, assumes constantly varying angles with respect to the surface of the opposing jaw, as a consequence of which it will be obvious that belts of different thickness cannot be uniformly gripped between the jaws. Said machines are further provided with a frame for carrying the coil-inserting mechanism, which is pivoted to the frame carrying the said aws, so that the said coiling mechanism may be swung away from the aws to permit the proper adjustment of the belt between said jaws, said pivoted frame being permitted to drop down and swing pendant from its pivotal axis.

The principal objects of my invention are, to provide a belt lacing machine with relatively movable aws having means to main tain their opposed working surfaces in parallel relation, and to provide the opposed surfaces of said jaws with parallel serrations extending longitudinally with respect to the belting, for alining the convolutions of the coil, and so formed as to insure the embedding of said coil into the belt surface to a maximum extent, when compressed by said jaws.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914;.

Serial No. 773,654.

on said pivoted frame, forming a guide for the purpose of squaring said belt with the cutting edges of said aws.

My invention comprehends novel means for automatically catching and retaining the pivoted frame in its operative position when swung toward. the jaws.

My invention also includes all of the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely described.

In the accompanying drawings, I igure 1 is a front elevational view of a belt-lacing machine conveniently embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of said machine as viewed from the right hand of the machine shown in Fig. 1, showing the parts in position to trim the belt; Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of said machine taken on the line 33 in Fig. 1, showing the parts in position to insert the coil in the trimmed end of the belt; and Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line l 1 in Fig. 2.

In said figures, the lower jaw 5 of the machine is supported upon the standard 6, and carries at its opposite ends the side plates 7 and 8 forming the stationary frame conveniently providing bearings for the trunnions 9 and 10 of the eccentric 12, which is provided with the operating handle 18, whose hub 1a is secured thereto by set screws 15 and carries the upper jaw comprising the relatively movable jaw sections 16 and 17.

The jaw section 16 is suspended from the eccentric 12, by which the upper jaw is reciprocated vertically, and said jaw section 16 is provided with a long bearing 18 for the pin or rod 19, which extends through said bearing and through the laterally disposed lugs 20 on the jaw section 17, by which the latter is pivotally suspended from said jaw section 16. The upper jaw has a belt-engaging surface 21, which is opposed to the beltengaging surface 22 of the lower jaw, between which surfaces the belt 23 may be engaged by any desired degree of pressure, applied by the handle 13 through the eccentric 12.

In order that the surface 21 of the upper jaw may be maintained in parallel relation with the surface 22 of the lower jaw, irrespective of their spaced relation, the jaw section 17 of the upper jaw is conveniently provided with laterally projecting ribs or guides 25 and 26 extending into suitable recesses or guideways 27 and 28 in the respective side plates 7 and 8, and arranged to freely slide therein in a direction normal to the plane of the belt or the beltengaging surfaces.

By the arrangement of the opposed jaws as above described, it will be obvious that belts of any thickness may be engaged with uniform pressure throughout the extent of the opposed belt-engaging surfaces, which is highly advantageous in both trimming the belt or inserting the coil therein.

The lower jaw 5 is provided in its front face with an undercut slot 30, extending parallel with and slightly below the upper edge of said jaw, in which is slidably mounted a reciprocatory knife bar 31, having lateral flanges 32 retained by the undercut walls of said slot 30, and having an operating handle 33 at one end and a cutting blade 34 secured at the other end by screws 35. The blade 34 is preferably formed with an upwardly and rearwardly extending cutting edge 36, which is guided by the forward edges of the belt-engaging surfaces of the upper and lower jaws, the cutting edge being cooperative with the lower edge of the upper jaw section 17 to trim the belt, when the knife bar 31 is drawn by the handle 33, through the apertures 38 and 39, conveniently provided therefor in the respective frameplates 7 and 8.

The stationary frame comprising the lower jaw 5 and side plates 7 and 8 is provided with the shaft 40, whose ends project through the bosses 41 and 42, and said shaft pivotally supports the movable frame comprising the side plates 44 and 45 and connecting cross-bar 46, and arranged to swing upon said shaft 40 toward and away from said jaws.

The movable frame is retained in its posi tion adjacent to the jaws, as shown in Fig. 3, by snap catches, one being disposed in the free end of each of the side plates 44 and 45, and comprising the plunger 48 mounted for reciprocation in the recess 49, and having the reduced stem 50 projecting through the respective side plates 44 and 45, and provided with the winged handle 51, by which said plunger may be manually retracted. Said plunger 48 is normally thrust outwardly by the coiled spring 52,

which is seated in said recess 49, to be engaged in the detent aperture in the boss 56 on the side of each of the side plates 7 and 8, said boss being inclined upon one side for the purpose of providing a cam surface 57, as best shown in Fig. 4, for automatically retracting the plunger 48 so as to enter the detent aperture 55, when the movable frame is swung upward into the position shown in Fig. 3.

The movable frame carries the coil-inserting mechanism, comprising the suitably spaced grooved spindles 60, 61 and 62, each having a series of circumferential grooves, and forming a three-point engagement for the wire coil 63, which is rotated thereby with the convolutions of the coil disposed in said grooves and guided thereby.

The spindle 60 is mounted for rotation in suitable bearings in the side plates 44 and .45 of the movable frame on an axis fixed with respect thereto, while the spindles 61 and 62 are mounted for rotation in the pivoted wings 65 and 66. The axes of the trunnions 68 and 69 of the spindles 61 and 62 are eccentric to the axes of the trunnions 70 and 71 of the wings 65 and 66, so that when said wings are oscillated, the relative distance between the spindles is consequently varied, whereby the tension on the coil 63 may be varied as desired, or coils of different diameters may be inserted. The spindle 60 is provided with the operating handle 100.

The contemporaneous oscillation of the wings 65 and 66 is effected by the threaded spindle 75, which is mounted for rotation in the cross-bar 46, and which is in threaded engagement with the crosshead 76, connected by links 77 and 78 to the screw-eyes 79 and 80 in the free edges of the respective wings 65 and 66. The threaded spindle 75 may be conveniently rotated by the handle 82, and is prevented from longitudinal movement by the set-screw 83, which is in threaded engagement with the cross-bar 46, and which has a reduced end 84 extended into the circumferential groove 85 in the shank of said threaded spindle.

The side plates 44 and 45 each has respective hubs 86 and 87 provided on their inner surfaces with a radial projection 88, which extends into a limited recess 89 in the bosses 41 and 42 of the side plates 7 and 8, the radial walls 90 of the said recesses serving to support the movable frame in such position that the surface 91 of the wing 65 serves as a convenient support in a plane with the opposed surfaces of the jaws, for the belt, as

best shown in Fig. 2.

The wing 65 is provided with a lug or guide 92 projecting from the surface 91 and having a guiding wall 93 in a plane with the inner surface 94 of the side plate 7, as best shown in Fig. 1, whereby the belt may be squared with respect to the cutting edge of the jaw section 17, for the purpose of trimming the end of said belt by the blade 34.

The spindles 60, (31 and G2 are respectively provided with gears 95, 96 and 97, connected by idlers 98 and 99, to effect the rotation of said spindles in the same direction when actuated by the handle 100 on the shaft of the spindle 60.

In machines heretofore constructed the opposed surfaces of their jaws have been provided with pointed teeth-like serrations, in the indentations of which the convolutions were engaged and twisted into parallel relation with the longitudinal direction of the belt, into which said convolutions of the coil were pressed by the said jaws.

It is proposed in the present invention to form serrations having shallow valleys, by removing the points of said serrations, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to permit a closer contact of the valley portions of the serrations with the surface of the belt, and consequently sink the wire of the coil into the body of the belt to a greater extent than by the prior practice.

The operation of the machine is as follows :The movable frame being swung down to the position shown in Fig. 2, the belt is inserted from the right of said figure between the jaws, and being squared by engaging its edge with the surface 94 of the side plate 7 and the lug or guide 92, said belt is then clamped by the jaws, and the blade 34 is drawn transversely across the machine by the handle 33, to trim the end of the belt. The belt thus trimmed is removed from the machine and inserted between the jaws from the left of the machine, as shown in Fig. 3, with its end projecting as shown, whereupon the movable frame is swung into adjacent relation with the jaws and the end of the belt, which is first pierced by a spiral needle progressively rotated between the spindles 60, 61 and 62, followed by the spiral coil 63, after which the belt is drawn back until the coil is between the central portion of the jaws with the convolutions resting in the valleys of the serrations. The jaws then being closed. the convolutions of the coil are twisted by said serrations, as above described.

I do not desire to limit my invention to the precise details of construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A belt-lacing machine comprising relatively movable jaws having opposed belt-engaging surfaces, a stationary frame for said jaws, a movable frame pivoted to said stationary frame and arranged to swing toward and away from said jaws, and having a surface for supporting said belt and means for guiding said belt, and a stop for holding said movable frame in position to support said belt substantially in a plane with the working surfaces of said jaws.

2. A belt-lacing machine comprising a stationary frame having cams terminating in detent apertures, movable jaws having opposed belt-engaging surfaces, an eccentric for effecting the relative movement of said jaws, one of said jaws being formed of pivoted sections and having guides for maintaining its working surface in parallel relation to the working surface of the opposed jaw, a movable frame pivoted to said stationary frame and arranged to swing toward and away from said jaws, and having a surface for supporting said belt, and a guide thereon for guiding said belt with respect to the edges of said jaws, a stop for holding said frame in position to support the belt substantially in a plane with the opposed surfaces of said jaws, mechanism carried by said movable frame for inserting a coil of wire into the end of said belt when held by said jaws, and catches cooperative with said cam surfaces and apertures for automatically catching and holding said frame in its position adjacent to said jaws.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT RAHRER.

Witnesses FRANK KELLEY, Jr., En. A. KELLY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

